Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 206, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1913 — The Missing Witness. [ARTICLE]

The Missing Witness.

By William Pigott.

I was travelling by the night express from London to Liverpool, where I proposed to embark the' next day upon a steamer bound for Valparaiso. My compartment had no other occupant; and I was glad It was so; for J. was restless and uneasy, moving from seat to seat, and peering continually—for no that I knew of—out of the carriage window into the darkness.' In such a state of mind, indeed, was I that the constraint engendered by the presence of a fellow traveller would have been well-nigh unbearable We had. been y on the way a little more than-an hour, and were passing a wayside station, when there was a crash upon the window of my carriage; the glass was shivered to atoms, and something fell upon the floor, of the compartment., My nerves were strung at so high a tension that I believe I thought that I had been shot at, and sat rigid, lest by moving I should realize a hart. Presently, recovering somewhat, I looked upon the floor, and Baw that the object which had b«fn thrown there was a small note weighted with a stone. With a feeling between curiosity and apprehension, I picked It up. The indorsement, in a scholarly hand, <Md little to allay the first of these. “ For the perusal of the person or persons Into whose carriage this note may be thrown.” I opened it, and the contents were of such an astonishing character that I do not think It is likely that I shall ever forget them. At present, at any rate, 1 can give them verbatim — ‘‘There is a prisoner lying In the Jail at Malton, sentenced to be hanged .to-morrow morning at 8 o’clock. He has always protested his innocence and said that there was a man who could prove if. Though nothing was left undone to discover that man, he was not found. I am he. Through illness and other causes 1 have only at this moment learned the circumstances—too late to telegraph, too late to communicate with the authorities at Malton In any way save this. Beyond the shadow of a doubt I can prove that the accused was many miles from the scene of the murderthe time It took place. You who reaff this—as you value the life of a fellowman—leave the train at Malton, go to the governor of the prison, show him this note, and say that 1 am coming in the morning by the earliest train. Do not fall. It Is a matter of life and death. James Castlerenny.’ ” I laid down this extraordinary dooument, and took up the evening paper. I had read what was said about the Malton case before, but I read it again now with ah added interest. After recapitulating the chief features of the murder and announcing the execution on the morrow, the report went on as follows: ‘‘lt will be remembered that the prisoner has all along vehemently protester his Innocence and maintained that there exists a man, could he be found, who is able to clear him. He states that at the time of the murder he was a spectator at a football match at Olayden, where he fell Into conversation with the man not to him, which culminated In a somewhat heated argument on the subject of professionalism. The prisotaear’a solicitors have, of oourse, used their best endeavors to find this person, but without snooess, and he is by most people regarded as a myth. The accused himself, however, . does not waver from his original deolaration, and It' Is stated that he still dings to the hope that the missing witness will appear in time to save him.’’ So it oame about that I held this man’s life in my hands. I threw the paper and the note into a corner of the carriage, and did a strange thing. I laughed. Perhaps it was the strain upon-my nerves; perhaps —who knows? I state the fact. After a time, when 1 became more used to the situation, I began to reflect I was asked to leave the train at Malton. arouse the sleeping governor of the prison with an extraordinary story, and thereby to a certainty miss my boat to Liverpool. It was more than I was prepared to under-, take. Above all things, It was imperative that I should be on board the steamer which started in the morning for Valparaiso. Besides, there was another reason which made the performance on my part of the request contained in the note a thing not to be thought of. Without doubt, it was the easiest plan to let things take their coarse. Could I reasonably be expected to • put myself out on account of a communication which reached me in so eccentric a manner, and the authenticity of which I had no possible means of gauging? It wearied me to think. I would leave things as they were. In this frame of mind I remained until the train had drawn np at Malton. 1 suppose, however, it left me not completely happy, for In a sudden impulse I threw open the window and called a porter. **l understand,’’ ft said to him, "that there is a man in the prison here who Is -to be executed in the morning for murder?’’ The porter seemed astonished at my question, which Is perhaps not to be wondered at. "Yes, sir/’ he replied at last, Ms hs killed a mu at *■*£_"